More "ADVENT"ures with Jessie

  


Another joyous day spent with Jessie Chorley yesterday - "a handmade and hand-tied Christmas" workshop held in the fab Vintage Heaven tea-shop on Columbia Road. Luckily for you I was too "hand-tied" to photograph the A-M-A-Z-I-I-N-G cakes (home baked the night before)as you would be reaching for the self raising as we speak!

Jessie had prepared simple white twig wreaths for us along with a divine pack of goodies including stamped luggage labels, white cardboard cut birdy and horse amongst other things.As ever, her trinket treasure trove of beads, lace and ribbons was set out to be foraged through! Off we went - wrapping, embellishing, embroidering, rosette making, beading, threading, stamping.

I should say that Jessie had made a gorgeous mobile including much of the above, alas I cannot show you as my flash was being petulant and I have nothing decent to show! So go and see it in the shop if you can.

I was early enough to have a little nose around the shop and managed to snaffle these gorgeous cards, complete with lovely envelopes covered in old script.


Oh, and also these pretty hand-stamped labels



Clapping hands, so excited! Little Lane brain is whirring with excited Christmas chatterings - haven't finnished my wreath yet but I will show you as soon as I have!
In the meantime Jessie and Buddug will be unveiling their Christmas window and wares on Saturday 19th November find out more here.

I shall be unveiling my creation as soon as it's finnished!

Love Sarah xXx

PS Get well soon Lynn - I missed you x
PPS Hello Vicky - hope you got home safe and sound x

Stitched up

I have been bitten. 

It all started when Lynn at Sea Angels posted about a wonderful day spent at Jessie Chorley's embroidered story book workshop. As you know off I went - a novice, non-sewing lamb to the seamstress.

And then it happened - the bite I mean.

 Ever since I started my piece (snort! I could think of other names for my effort but as we are in polite society I shall refrain from using them!) I have been swept away with a tide of fulfilment and joy! I may not be very good but there is something marvelous about sitting down on Sunday afternoon and picking up some sewing!

By Jessie Chorley

by Caroline Zoob

I have long admired Caroline Zoob's exquisite embroidery and viewed it as so amazing I could never possibly aspire to achieve anything so gorgeous. I used to squirrel my pennies and visit Housepoints just off Northcote Road back in the London days.

by Cal Patch

Then I started to realise that I love applique! Isn't this header by wonderful?

And during my Etsy travels I discovered Funkyjunky Art. 

I am a real sucker for lovewarn fabrics and old books and fabrics

 Of course I know that many of you were already more than switched on to all this stitchery pokery, yes I am thinking of the lovely Viv at Hen's Teeth! But I am a very slow starter!

I have been discovering a whole new hidden world.

         

Wonderful Liberty fabrics displayed in embroidery hoops, genius and the wonderful work of Rosemary Milner LOVE IT!

 So anyway, no more delaying tactics - I hear you 

"Come on Lane girl - show us what you did!"

 A few footnotes : 

The background fabric is the fabric from my roman blinds in the Old Lane.

The window fabric is the satin from the bodice of my wedding dress

 (off-cuts! No I didn't cut up my wedding dress!)

The chimney fabric is a scrap of daisy chain from our kitchen when I was a child

The bunting includes some remnants from Mr.Lane's old shirts

The lace belonged to Ganny (Mr.Lane's Granny.)

I wrote the words from the poem Take the Long Road, the long road home onto paper and used them as my template for the bunting. They will never be seen but I will know they are there.

You get the idea - it all means something to me. So no matter how wobbly and unsure those stitches I smile at each scrap of fabric and all that they contain.

Still got loads to do but you get the idea?

Sarah

xXx

Come and have a gander at a treasure filled day.....

A fairy-tale circus type of day.

On Saturday I went to the Big Smoke, to the East End no less and had a jolly good day sewing and learning and embroidering and making with Jessie Chorley.

Before I go on I should add my thanks to Lynn at Sea Angels who wrote a wonderful piece about one of Jessie's Workshops here. It was reading this lovely post that spurred me on to contact Jessie, so my thanks to Lynn and the amazing serendipity of the blogosphere.

So I set off early doors from the warm summer, glowing Sussex countryside and made my way to London by train. The first glimpse of the London Eye or the Gherkin never fails to send a shiver of excitement.I love to crane my neck to glimpse Tower Bridge and the Tower of London through the snicket in the foreground as you approach London Bridge. I love London, and only now that I no longer work, live here, am I able to see it in all it's majesty again.

Stepping out on to the street at Shoreditch, Redchurch Street to be precise, the first thing I saw was Les Trois Garcons. A sudden rush of memory, this is the most weird and wonderful restaurant. I haven't been here for years and I had quite forgotten all about it! How did that happen? It is extraordinary inside, theatrical and magical and decadent all at once, I was so bowled over the first time I ate here. The food was by no means an after thought either. But still my overwhelming memory is of towers of exotic fruits, crystal chandeliers and stuffed leopards! I urge you to try it!

Still reminiscing about a past life I pass this extraordinary window display of circus curios and toys. I love the grime on the windows it lends an eerie quality. I stupidly didn't look to see what it was!

And on I go to Columbia Road, home of the famous flower market and a lovely enclave of independent makers and dealers.

Love the architecture in this part of London, this is a detail from a wonderful limited edition print by Vic Lee, I have ordered the Columbia Road print, have a look at his work here.

I have been meaning to check this gorgeous emporium out since forever .....love the lettering. But no time to dally I have an appointment here

Jessie and Buddup's Shop.

Any shop with knitted bunting and a bespoke dolls house in the window is absolutely top of my list.

 (I adore the way the houses opposite are reflected in the window.)

Inside is staggeringly lovely.....

 everywhere you turn is another vignette, we sat at this table whilst Jessie showed us her work, WOW! So inspirational, cut story books, journals and fabric story books. Unsurprisingly Jessie has just finished making a batch of her journals for Anthroplologie stores in the US.

 The good news is that Jessie is running some workshops for Christmas! Spaces are limited so don't delay, find out more here. You never know who you might bump into! 

Note to self for next time:

Take my "Auntie Ella"

Write down the names of the creators of lovely Tommy Trinders

Remember to bring a weasel and stoat

Look both ways when crossing the frog and toad

Hello to my fellow work~shoppers and most importantly of all
THANKYOU JESSIE
 xXx